ES2872098T3 - Improved thermostat assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Thermostat assembly (1) for heating devices, in particular for radiators and heaters, comprising: - electronic thermoregulation means (2) configured to activate and deactivate the heating of the heating means adapted to flow inside said heating device; - a housing (3) defining a cavity (3a) adapted to house said electronic thermoregulation means (2) and comprising first mechanical coupling means (31), said first mechanical coupling means (31) comprising a substantially cylindrical seat (31a); - a probe (4) to detect the temperature value of said heating means comprising: - second mechanical coupling means (41) complementary to said first mechanical coupling means (31) of said housing (3) to allow coupling of said probe (4) to said housing (3), said second mechanical coupling means (41) comprising a substantially cylindrical body (41a) extending from said probe (4) and configured for coupling by interference to said seat ( 31a) of said first mechanical coupling means (31); - electrical connection means (42) for connection to said electronic thermoregulation means (2); - third mechanical coupling means (43) configured to allow the connection of said probe (4) to an inlet mouth of said heating device; said first mechanical coupling means (31) and said second mechanical coupling means (41) being configured, when said probe (4) is coupled to said housing (3), to allow the rotation of said housing (3) with respect to said probe (4) according to an axis of rotation (Y); characterized in that at least one first annular housing (5) is defined in said seat (31a) and at least one at least partially annular projecting body (6) is defined in said cylindrical body (41a) or at least one first annular housing ( 5) is defined in said cylindrical body (41a) and at least one protruding body (6) at least partially annular is defined in said seat (31a); said protruding body (6) being adapted for placement in said first annular housing (5) when said probe (4) is coupled to said housing (3) so that the assembly of the protruding body (6) in the first annular housing ( 5) prevents the decoupling of said probe (4) from said housing (3) but does not prevent said rotation of said housing (3) with respect to said probe.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Improved thermostat assembly

The present invention relates to an improved thermostat assembly, particularly suitable for use in radiator devices, such as radiators and heaters.

A thermostat is a device that regulates the temperature value in a certain environment or in a specific heating device.

From an operational point of view, temperature regulation allows the detection of the temperature value by means of a suitable sensor and the sending of this value to the thermostat.

Once the value detected by the sensor is received, it is compared with a predefined value, producing a command signal towards an actuator that converts the signal, electrical or pneumatic, into the regulating action in the final controlled device.

This regulating action is exerted on the heating means which, by flowing inside the heating device, transfer the heat to the latter and, consequently, to the external environment.

Generally, such heating means consist of water, air, steam, etc.

In this way, a feedback control of the temperature of the heating device is established.

Sensors, probes or so-called sensitive elements are generally used to detect the temperature and sometimes also the humidity present in an environment.

It is possible to distinguish between simple sensors, which measure the process variable and provide an analog signal, transducer sensors, which transform the signal into an input / output for the thermostat, and transmitter sensors, which amplify the low intensity signal from a sensor. simple and filter it out of any "background noise". The choice of the type of sensor for temperature control is a critical condition for its proper use.

However, even if the sensor used is sophisticated, accurate and of high quality, any incorrect installation and / or positioning affects the quality of the regulation, resulting in inconvenient energy expenditure. To regulate the temperature according to a preselected trend over time, a so-called chronothermostat is used.

This type of thermostats generally comprises a housing that contains the electronic thermoregulation means of the device, a screen for displaying the operating parameters and a keyboard connected to it, for programming the chronothermostat.

Typically, the housing is partially removable to allow replacement of the power supply batteries and / or to facilitate installation of the thermostat itself.

Advantageously, the use of said chronothermostats in homes allows to obtain the regulation of the temperature in different time bands or on different days, guaranteeing significant energy savings.

Thermostats and chronothermostats play a particularly critical role in radiant systems because, being low temperature terminals, they are generally characterized by considerable thermal inertia.

Among these radiant terminals, we highlight in particular the so-called radiators or towel rails and the heaters themselves.

The temperature regulation thermostats, in addition to allowing a safe use of these heating devices, also guarantee energy savings in their use.

The thermostat or the chronothermostat can be arranged inside the device, and when the temperature reaches the predefined limit, the suspension of the power supply is automatically activated.

A drawback of these thermostats consists in their arrangement, in particular in the arrangement of the visual screen and the keyboard for regulation when they are installed in the heating device.

In fact, known thermostats are normally attached by a thread to the temperature sensing probes which, in turn, by means of an additional external thread, are associated with the heating device, such as, for example, the radiators.

However, when the probe, and therefore the thermostat associated with it, are screwed onto the heating device, it is not possible to predict whether the final orientation of the thermostat, in particular the display and keyboard, will actually be such that allows the view of the process parameters and their regulation by the user.

In fact, it is possible that the screwing of the probe and, therefore, of the thermostat, to the heating device ends when the display and the keyboard are oriented towards the wall where the heating device is mounted, and not frontally, towards the position of the user.

To overcome this inconvenience, it is necessary to uninstall the probe and the thermostat and proceed to reinstall them, with the consequent loss of time.

A thermostat is known, identified with the name KTX4, from the company Terma, with a user manual "KTX 1, KTX 2, KTX 3, KTX 4. User Manual.", November 10, 2016, https: // web. archive.org/web/20161110205550if_/http://www.hessen.ee/tootelehed/terma/user_manual_terma_ktx.pdf, which is configured for possible arrangement on the radiator device by rotating its casing in the optimal position for the user to see its screen.

However, the particular configuration of this thermostat allows this rotation to take place only before the thermostat is put into operation, since, for its installation and connection to the electrical network, it must be blocked with respect to the heater by fixing it with an Allen key that avoid extra movements.

Therefore, during operation, this thermostat continues to have the limits stated above for known thermostats.

Another drawback of the thermostats on the market is that, generally, they work with batteries, so it will be necessary, in their ordinary maintenance, to replace said batteries once they have been exhausted. Given the particular arrangement of said thermostats associated with the heating device and, usually, arranged at a distance of a few centimeters from the wall where the device itself is installed, in order to be able to replace them, the user must unfavorably remove the thermostat to open the casing that It contains the batteries and replaces them, which obviously requires non-negligible runtimes.

Another drawback is that, also in the case in which the user must perform a calibration and / or verify the correct operation of the thermostat, he will necessarily have to remove it from its position and then reinstall it once the verification operations have been completed.

Also, another drawback is that the removal and subsequent installation of known thermostats must be carried out by removing the tool by personnel with the necessary skills. In fact, it is necessary to remember that, in the case of electric heating devices, they fall into the category of electric current appliances, therefore, during these installation / removal procedures, all known safety recommendations must be followed. in the electricity sector.

A further drawback of known thermostats is that they are generally arranged in environments such as the bathroom and kitchen, so special care must be taken when performing the aforementioned installation / removal operations to prevent them from coming into contact with water and moisture, which would cause it to malfunction or, worse, deteriorate.

The present invention aims to overcome all the mentioned drawbacks.

In particular, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a thermostat assembly that allows the user to orient the display and / or the programming keypad without having to remove the thermostat from the heating device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermostat assembly which, once installed in the heater device, does not need to be removed for normal maintenance operations.

A further objective of the present invention is that this thermostat assembly is hermetically sealed with respect to the external environment, so that it can be arranged in particularly humid environments or where there is the presence of splashing water, such as bathrooms and kitchens.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a thermostat assembly that requires less time for assembly and installation than prior art thermostats.

Said objectives are achieved by the provision of a thermostat assembly according to the main claim.

Other characteristics of the thermostat assembly of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

The aforementioned objectives, together with the advantages that will be mentioned below, will be highlighted during the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is shown by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, where:

figure 1 represents an axonometric view of the thermostat assembly of the invention, according to the preferred embodiment;

figure 2 shows an axonometric exploded view of the thermostat assembly of figure 1;

figure 3 shows a top view of the thermostat assembly of figure 1;

figure 4 represents a sectional view of the thermostat assembly of figure 3, taken along section line IV-IV;

figure 5 represents a sectional view of the thermostat assembly of figure 3, taken along section line V-V;

figure 6 represents a sectional view of the thermostat assembly of figure 3, taken along section line VI-VI.

The thermostat assembly of the invention is shown in figure 1, where it is indicated in its entirety with the number 1.

It is used to regulate the temperature value in a heating device, in particular in heating devices such as heaters and radiators, generally also known as towel racks.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the thermostat assembly is also used to regulate the temperature value according to a preselected trend in time, functionally acting as a chronothermostat.

It should be noted that the term "thermostat assembly" is used generically in the text and that this term should be understood as referring to both a thermostat and a chronothermostat.

The thermostat assembly 1 object of the invention comprises electronic thermoregulation means 2 configured to activate and deactivate the heating of the heating means adapted to flow within a heating device.

Said electronic thermoregulation means 2 are per se known components of thermostats and normally comprise electronic elements to control the heating of the heating means, generally water or steam, flowing inside the tubes of the heating devices.

Preferably, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electronic thermoregulation means 2 comprise at least one screen 21 for displaying the operating parameters, such as, for example, temperature, humidity, etc. and, furthermore, a keyboard 22 that allows programming the operation and related parameters of the thermostat assembly 1.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the thermostat assembly 1 of the invention further comprises a housing 3 defining a cavity 3a, shown in Figure 2, which is adapted to house the aforementioned electronic thermoregulation means 2.

Furthermore, the casing 3 comprises first mechanical coupling means 31, which will be described in more detail later.

The thermostat assembly 1 further comprises a probe 4 for detecting the temperature value of the heating means.

This probe 4 is a probe known per se, configured to detect the temperature value of the heating means of the heating device and transmit it, by means of electrical connection 42, to the electronic thermoregulation means 2 which, on the basis of such values, modulate the heating of the heating means.

Preferably, such electrical connection means 42 are further configured for connection to an electrical network, for example, by means of an electrical conductor associated with an electrical plug adapted for application in an electrical outlet or directly by connection to a junction box. electrical, to receive electrical energy from the electrical network and transmit it to the electronic thermoregulation means 2, putting them into operation.

The probe 4 of the invention preferably has a substantially longitudinal extension and further comprises second mechanical coupling means 41, which will be described later, complementary to the first mechanical coupling means 31 to be connectable to the latter and allow coupling of the probe 4 to housing 3.

The probe 4 further comprises third mechanical coupling means 43 configured to allow the connection of the probe 4 to an inlet mouth of the heating device.

These third mechanical coupling means 43, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, comprise a thread 431 preferably defined at the end of the probe 4, shown in Figure 1, which allows its connection to the inlet mouth of the heating device.

In fact, in operation, to connect the probe 4 to the heating device, it is inserted through the inlet mouth of the heating device itself and screwed to a nut screw defined on the inner surface of the aforementioned inlet mouth by means of the thread 431.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first mechanical coupling means 31 and the second mechanical coupling means 41 are configured to allow the rotation of the housing 3 with respect to the probe 4, and vice versa, the rotation of the probe 4 with relative to housing 3, when probe 4 is coupled to housing 3.

This rotation is carried out along a rotation axis Y, which preferably corresponds to the extension axis of the probe 4.

Advantageously, the possibility of rotating the housing 3 and the electronic thermoregulation means 2 contained therein when the probe 4 is coupled to the housing 3 allows the display and / or the programming keyboard to be oriented towards the user, regardless of the position reached , once the thermostat is installed in the heating device.

In this way, it is advantageously avoided that the thermostat assembly has to be uninstalled and reinstalled with respect to the heating device if the screen or the keyboard is turned to the opposite side to the user's position, as is the case with the thermostats of the prior art, where, once the probe is coupled to the housing containing the electronic control elements, the position of the housing with the screen can no longer be modified except by uncoupling it from the probe and / or the heating device.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first mechanical coupling means 31 and the second mechanical coupling means 41 are configured to allow rotation of the housing 3 with respect to the probe 4 and, vice versa, even when the electrical connection means 42 are connected to the electrical network and the electronic thermoregulation means 2 are in operation.

In this way, it is advantageously possible to orient the display and / or the programming keyboard by turning the housing 3 even after connection and installation of the thermostat assembly 1 in the heating device and, in particular, after the activation of the electronic thermoregulation means 2 by electrical connection.

Advantageously, this rotation is possible due to the particular conformation of the first mechanical coupling means 31 and the second mechanical coupling means 41 according to what will be described below.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first mechanical coupling means 31 comprise a substantially cylindrical seat 31a in communication with the cavity 3a.

Furthermore, the second mechanical coupling means 41 comprise a substantially cylindrical body 41a extending from the probe 4 with a configuration for its interference coupling to the aforementioned seat 31a.

This coupling is made possible by the advantageous configuration of the seat 31a and the cylindrical body 41a, shown by way of example in Figures 4 to 6.

In particular, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mentioned seat 31a of the first mechanical coupling means 31 is defined by the coupling of at least two casing halves 32, 33 belonging to the casing 3 and shown in Figure 2 .

Each of these two shell halves, in particular a first shell half 32 and a second shell half 33, has a concave profile, and can be coupled to each other to form the seat 31a.

This coupling is preferably formed by mechanical connecting elements known per se, such as, for example, screws.

However, it is not excluded that, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, the coupling of the housing halves is carried out by coupling or other known techniques.

Advantageously, the formation of the seat 31a takes place directly by coupling the two housing halves 32 and 33 around the cylindrical body 41a of the probe 4, simplifying the assembly operations of the thermostat assembly 1.

In particular, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, a first annular housing 5 is defined in the seat 31a and an at least partially annular projecting body 6 is defined in the cylindrical body 41a.

When the probe 4 is coupled to the housing 3 with the cylindrical body 41a mounted on the seat 31a, the projecting body 6 is aligned with the first annular housing 5 so as to be able to be at least partially disposed therein. Advantageously, the mounting of the projecting body 6 in the first annular housing 5 prevents the probe 4 from being accidentally disengaged from the housing 3.

At the same time, the sliding of the projecting body 6 along the first annular housing 5 does not prevent said rotation of the probe 4 with respect to the housing 3.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cylindrical body 41a comprises a second annular housing 7 and the projecting body 6 is a seal arranged in this second annular housing 7.

Advantageously, the presence of a seal in the seat 31a ensures the stable coupling of the latter in the cylindrical body 41a and, furthermore, an effective sealing of the cavity 3a.

Preferably, this gasket is made of elastomeric material such as chloroprene, ethylene-propylene, nitrile, silicone, etc.

Even more preferably, this seal is an O-ring type seal.

Advantageously, the presence of a sealing gasket, in particular an O-ring, prevents drops of water or moisture from penetrating through the seat 31a into the cavity 3a, thus allowing to isolate and, therefore, protect, the means 2 electronic thermoregulation devices contained inside.

However, it is not excluded that in different embodiments of the invention this seal is not made of elastomeric material or is not present.

Preferably, the thermostat assembly 1 comprises two or more projecting bodies 6, each adapted to be arranged in a corresponding first annular housing 5 when the probe 4 is coupled to the housing 3, as shown in Figures 4 to 6.

Even more preferably, the thermostat assembly 1 comprises two or more second annular housings 7, each configured to house a corresponding seal.

Part of the present invention is also a different embodiment of the thermostat assembly 1, not represented in the figures, which comprises all the characteristics indicated for the preferred embodiment of the invention, including the variants, and, unlike the preferred embodiment, presents the first annular housing 5 defined in the cylindrical body 41a and the projecting body 6 defined in the seat 31a.

Similar to the preferred embodiment of the invention, also for this different embodiment, the projecting body 6 is adapted to be arranged in the first annular housing 5 when the probe 4 is coupled to the housing 3, to avoid accidental uncoupling of the probe 4 of the casing 3 and at the same time allowing it to rotate, as indicated above.

Preferably, according to this different embodiment, the second annular housing is defined in the seat 31a and the projecting body 6 is a seal, preferably an O-ring, which is arranged in said second annular housing 7.

Returning to the preferred embodiment of the thermostat assembly 1 of the invention, the second mechanical coupling means 41 also comprises a pin 411 extending radially from the probe 4, shown in Figure 2, and the first mechanical coupling means 31 comprises at least one opposite wall 311 also shown in Figure 2.

When the probe 4 rotates, the pin 411 rotates integrally with it until it intercepts the opposite wall 311, which prevents further rotation.

Advantageously, the rotation lock prevents the electrical connection means 42 connected to the electronic thermoregulation means 2 from twisting one another, maintaining an extended configuration that is optimal for its operation.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotation of the housing 3 with respect to the probe 4 is allowed according to a rotation angle of less than 360 degrees.

Preferably, this rotation takes place at a rotation angle of approximately 350 degrees.

It is not excluded that, according to different embodiments of the invention, the pin 411 and / or the opposite wall 311 have a different shape than indicated or are not present.

Functionally, to carry out the installation of the thermostat assembly 1 of the present invention, the electronic thermoregulation means 2 are arranged inside the cavity 3a of the housing 3 and are connected to the probe 4 through the connection with the connection means electrical 42.

Subsequently, the first housing half 32 of the housing 3 is coupled to the second housing half 33 by means of screw connection elements to form the seat 31a and so that the latter is configured with the first annular housing 5 facing the second. annular housing 7.

Between the first annular housing 5 and the second annular housing 7 there is also a sealing O-ring to guarantee the seal between the seat 31a of the housing 3 and the cylindrical body 41a of the probe 4, avoiding accidental disengagement of the probe 4 casing 3.

The thermostat assembly 1 thus associated is then coupled to a heating device, mounting the probe 4 in an inlet of the aforementioned heating device and screwing it to the latter by means of the thread 431. Furthermore, the electrical connection means 42 are They are connected to the electrical network by means of connection to an electrical outlet or to an electrical connection box, to receive the electrical energy from the electrical network and transmit it to the electronic thermoregulation means 2, putting them into operation.

Advantageously, when the probe 4 is coupled to the housing 3, and even more so, when the thermostat assembly 1 is associated to the heating device, the housing 3 is stably coupled to the probe 4 by interference of the projecting body 6 with the first annular housing 5, and can also be rotated with respect to probe 4 by sliding seat 31a around cylindrical body 41a, along the axis of rotation Y.

Advantageously, even when the electronic means 2 are in operation, that is to say, they are connected to the electrical network to carry out their thermoregulation function, the housing 3 coupled to the probe 4 can be rotated relative to the probe 4 by sliding the seat 31a around the cylindrical body 41a, along the axis of rotation Y. Furthermore, thanks to the presence of the pin 411 and the opposite wall 311, it is possible to carry out the aforementioned rotation of the casing 3 during the operation of the electronic thermoregulation means 2, preventing the electrical connection means 42 connected to the thermoregulation means electronics 2 twist together and thus facilitate the maintenance of their extended configuration, optimal for their operation.

Therefore, based on the foregoing, the thermostat assembly of the invention achieves all the intended objectives. In particular, thanks to the configuration of the first and second mechanical coupling means of the housing and the probe, the objective of creating a thermostat is achieved that allows the user to orient the screen and / or the programming keyboard without having to proceed to the uninstallation of the thermostat itself from the heating device.

Furthermore, thanks to the rotation of the thermostat assembly of the invention, once the latter has been installed in the heating device, it is not necessary to remove it to carry out normal maintenance operations.

Likewise, the presence of one or more sealing gaskets allows the thermostat to be hermetically sealed with respect to the external environment, in particular, allowing the thermostat assembly of the invention to be arranged in particularly humid environments or where there is the presence of water splashes, such as like bathrooms and kitchens. Last but not least, the simple half-shell configuration of the housing allows a thermostat assembly to be formed that requires less time to assemble and install over prior art thermostats.

Claims (9)

1. Thermostat assembly (1) for heating devices, in particular for radiators and heaters, comprising: - electronic thermoregulation means (2) configured to activate and deactivate the heating of the heating means adapted to flow inside said heating device; - a casing (3) defining a cavity (3a) adapted to house said electronic thermoregulation means (2) and comprising first mechanical coupling means (31), said first mechanical coupling means (31) comprising a substantially cylindrical seat (31a); - a probe (4) to detect the temperature value of said heating means comprising: - second mechanical coupling means (41) complementary to said first mechanical coupling means (31) of said casing (3) to allow coupling of said probe (4) to said casing (3), said second mechanical coupling means comprising (41) a substantially cylindrical body (41 a) extending from said probe (4) and configured for interference fit to said seat (31a) of said first mechanical coupling means (31); - electrical connection means (42) for connection to said electronic thermoregulation means (2); - third mechanical coupling means (43) configured to allow connection of said probe (4) to an inlet mouth of said heating device; said first mechanical coupling means (31) and said second mechanical coupling means (41) being configured, when said probe (4) is coupled to said casing (3), to allow said casing (3) to rotate with respect to said probe (4) along an axis of rotation (Y); characterized in that at least one first annular housing (5) is defined in said seat (31a) and at least one projecting body (6) at least partially annular is defined in said cylindrical body (41 a) or at least one first annular housing (5) is defined in said cylindrical body (41a) and at least one projecting body (6) at least partially annular is defined in said seat (31a); said projecting body (6) being adapted to be arranged in said first annular housing (5) when said probe (4) is coupled to said housing (3) such that the mounting of the projecting body (6) in the first annular housing ( 5) prevents disengagement of said probe (4) from said housing (3) but does not prevent said rotation of said housing (3) with respect to said probe. Thermostat assembly (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said first mechanical coupling means (31) and said second mechanical coupling means (41) are configured to allow said rotation of said casing (3) with respect to said probe (4) according to a rotation angle of less than 360 degrees. Thermostat assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said projecting body (6) is a sealing gasket arranged in a second annular housing (7) defined in said cylindrical body (41 a) or in said seat (31 a), said seal preferably being an O-ring. Thermostat assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second mechanical coupling means (41) comprise a pin (411) extending radially from said probe (4) and said first coupling means Mechanical (31) comprise at least one opposite wall (311) adapted to intercept said projecting pin (411) when said probe (4) is coupled to said housing (3) and rotates according to said axis of rotation (Y). Thermostat assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said third mechanical coupling means (43) comprise a thread (431) defined at the end of said probe (4) to allow connection of said probe (4) to said inlet mouth of said heating device. Thermostat assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said casing (3) comprises at least two casing halves (32, 33), particularly a first casing half (32) and a second casing half (33), with a concave profile and that can be coupled to each other to define said seat (31a). 7. Thermostat assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said probe (4) has a substantially longitudinal extension and said axis of rotation (Y) corresponds to the axis of extension of said probe (4) . 8. Thermostat assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electrical connection means (42) are configured for connection to an electrical network to receive electrical energy from an electrical network and transmit it to said means of electronic thermoregulation (2) and put them into operation. Thermostat assembly (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said first mechanical coupling means (31) and said second mechanical coupling means (41) are configured to allow said rotation also when said electrical connection means (42 ) are connected to said electrical network and said electronic thermoregulation means (2) are in operation.